Mega Man One-Two Punch

Conspicuous by his absence in Mega Man 9 was the Blue Bomber’s chief rival, Bass (like music, not the fish), also known to some as Forte. Mega Man returned with a brand-new game after an 11-year hiatus, and all of his cast was in tow, in some form or fashion– even Auto, who was introduced alongside Bass in Mega Man 7. Fans demanded to know how this could happen. Why does this oversight exist?

There is apparently an official answer, and an intriguing one at that. According to the booklet included in the Rockman 9 Arrange Album sold in Japan, “Forte was apparently undergoing “adjustments” during the events of RM9. Not only does this explain why he’s absent but also as to why he appears on Dr. Wily’s monitor in the final moments of the game.”

What makes this most interesting to me is what it could mean for a potential Mega Man 10, bits be damned. We could see a new Bass of sorts… possibly a more lethal one, at that. But to cut off the conspirators, odds are that Bass is not going to be revamped into Zero; it’s not impossible, mind, but rather improbable, given that Zero has been under construction in the Classic timeline for some time now. At the very least, I’m sure that Capcom would have at least found some way to better tease the connection than what we’ve seen.

Elsewhere, a new scene from Eddie Lebron Mega Man fan film mentioned the other day has surfaced, with Dr. Light discussing his work on teleportation to members of the press: